Blacksmith Master

A tycoon game set in a medieval forge? Well, why not? In Blacksmith Master, from Untitled Studio and Hooded Horse, players can do just that. They can manage their own medieval forge and oversee every step of the process, from mining ore and gemstones to designing and selling finished products.

Blacksmith Master is a medieval management game that could also be described as a tycoon game. Players must take care of everything required to run a medieval blacksmith's workshop. They must manage the acquisition and refinement of resources, as well as the production and sale of finished goods. They must take charge of woodcutter camps and mines to acquire raw materials, smelt ores into ingots, and then craft weapons, armour, tools, and jewellery to display and sell to customers at a profit. The initial early access version of Blacksmith Master includes almost 100 items that can be smithied, crafted and sold, including military equipment such as weapons, shields and armour, as well as kitchen utensils, tools and jewellery. It is also possible to specialise in each of these areas.

Players fulfil orders from different parts of the kingdom in order to unlock new privileges and capabilities. They can also unlock new recipes, expand facilities and hire workers. These workers should be equipped with the right tools to optimise their work in the smithy, and their skills can be developed over time. "Whether you take direct control and get your hands dirty at the forge or instead rely entirely on your staff to get the job done, there will be many different ways to craft items in Blacksmith Master - some will require a longer process which includes heating an ingot, hammering it on an anvil, tempering it, assembling parts, and finally sharpening it on a grinding wheel. Other items will be simpler to make, requiring fewer tools as well as less effort and time, though they might sell for a smaller profit margin and do less for your reputation as a result," the developers explain. Nevertheless, the game still suffers from downtime and balancing issues in the more advanced stages, but that's to be expected in Early Access.

Blacksmith Master is developed by Untitled Studio, a one-person development company based in Serbia. The studio's founder, Luka, gained experience in the mobile games industry before going solo and moving into PC games. The studio's first game, Tavern Master, was a great success, enabling him to continue pursuing his dream of creating games that he himself would want to play.

Hooded Horse is a publisher of strategic and tactical games that works with partners around the world. Starting with a single title in 2019, the company's portfolio has grown to encompass more than 30 games, with more to come. Six of the games in the company's portfolio are from German studios: Super Fantasy Kingdom from Super Fantasy Games, Menace from Overhype Studios, Sons of Valhalla from Pixel Chest, Hexxen: Hunters from Ulisses Spiele Digital and Drill Keeper from ShoulderByte. Hooded Horse recently collaborated with the Berlin-based influencer marketing agency Instinct3, which has an indie game publishing division too, to release 9 Kings in Early Access. This fast-paced roguelite kingdom builder from Brazilian studio Sad Socket combines card-based mechanics with massive battles. With over 13,900 concurrent players on Steam - even more than during its launch week - the game's success speaks for itself.

Blacksmith Master is available on PC via Early Access through Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store for €19.99. Depending on player feedback, the game is expected to remain in Early Access for approximately one year. The outlook is as follows: "We plan for the full version of Blacksmith Master to have additional content influenced by community feedback during the Early Access period. The goal will be to include multiple new crafting processes and endgame tasks, additional events that impact the player's efforts, and additional elements related to staff management that will all give the player more aspects to take into consideration across their smithy."

Conclusion

Blacksmith Master is a rock-solid blacksmithing and economic simulation game with a motivating production and management system. It could benefit from a little more variety and better balance, such as reducing downtime and lowering the cost of later products. Overall, it's ideal for an Early Access launch.

Features

• Production chain management from start to finish
• Numerous types of items to forge
• Create and customise an own storefront